Ok. I found why I got a configuration exception every time I launched my azure project (in visual studio 2010).

I have installed Azure Tools 1.4, on my Visual Studio 2010 SP1.

The problem

When I launched the appFabric / Azure Compute Emulator, I got a my visual studio telling my that I he didn’t have any trace or disassembly information.

The most annoying part of this situation is that my WebRole Entry point wasn’t started neither.

This was the error (cut some path’s out to keep it readable).

System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException was unhandled Message=Configuration system failed to initialize Source=System.Configuration BareMessage=Configuration system failed to initialize Line=0 StackTrace: at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey) at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.PrepareClientConfigSystem(String sectionName) at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.System.Configuration.Internal.IInternalConfigSystem.GetSection(String sectionName) at System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.GetSection(String sectionName) at System.Configuration.PrivilegedConfigurationManager.GetSection(String sectionName) at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.GetConfigSection() at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.Initialize() at System.Diagnostics.DiagnosticsConfiguration.get_IndentSize() at System.Diagnostics.TraceInternal.InitializeSettings() at System.Diagnostics.TraceInternal.get_Listeners() at System.Diagnostics.Trace.get_Listeners() at Microsoft.WindowsAzure.ServiceRuntime.Implementation.Loader.RoleRuntimeBridge.Initialize(String[] args) at Microsoft.WindowsAzure.ServiceRuntime.Implementation.Loader.RoleRuntimeBridge.Initialize(String[] args) at Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Hosts.WaIISHost.Program.RunEntryPoint(Parameters parameters) at Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Hosts.WaIISHost.Program.Main(String[] args) InnerException: System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException Message=Configuration file [CUT].WL.dll.config does not have root <configuration> tag (C:\Users\[CUT]\approot\bin\[CUT].WL.dll.config line 2) Source=System.Configuration BareMessage=Configuration file [CUT].WL.dll.config does not have root <configuration> tag Filename=C:\Users\damiaan.COMM-IT\[CUT]\approot\bin\[CUT].WL.dll.config Line=2 StackTrace: at System.Configuration.ConfigurationSchemaErrors.ThrowIfErrors(Boolean ignoreLocal) at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfParseErrors(ConfigurationSchemaErrors schemaErrors) at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfInitErrors() at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey) InnerException:

Solution

So what does it mean. If you open up the config file mentioned in the (inner) exception. You might notice this is not a complete configuration file. For me it was my App.Settings file.

What I did? I moved my app.Settings into my Web.config file. And gone was the error.

I think this is a bug. So, I posted it to Microsoft Connect so you can review it overthere: